Nephi

Nephi (615 BC-) was, in Mormonism, the son of the prophet Lehi and the author of the first two books of the Book of Mormon, First Nephi and Second Nephi. He was the ancestor of the Nephites.

Early life
Nephi was born in Jerusalem in 615 BC, the son of Lehi and Sariah, and the younger brother of Laman, Lemuel, and Sam. In 600 BC, Lehi was commanded by God to leave Jerusalem with his family, as the Babylonians would destroy the city and massacre its people. Lehi took his family into the wilderness, and Nephi and Sam obeyed him, while Laman and Lemuel were rebellious and did not trust their father's visions. Nephi later had his own visions of God, and God promised to help the brothers with their quest to recover their family's brass plates from Laban in Jerusalem. Nephi beheaded a drunken Laban and took his armor, robes, and plates, and Nephi brought these back to his family, allowing for them to prepare for their continued exile.

Promised land
Nephi spent eight years in the wilderness, facing many hardships, and Laman and Lemuel attempted to kill Nephi for following their father; however, an angel protected Nephi. Nephi was later commanded by God to build a ship and sail to a promised land that was prepared for him, and the family sailed from Oman to Central America. Not long after the family's arrival, Lehi died, leaving the leadership of the Jewish colony in Nephi's hands. His followers became known as Nephites, while his brothers Laman and Lemuel rebelled and became the ancestors of the Lamanites. 21 years after arriving in the Promised Land, Nephi built a temple, and his people prospered, despite occasionally fighting with the Lamanites. Nephi wrote First Nephi and Second Nephi on golden plates, recording his family's history, and he later died of old age.